


The little door inside the wardrobe

by Witheredtears



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22586389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witheredtears/pseuds/Witheredtears
Summary: Professor Lupin wasn't able to stop harry in time before it was his turn with the boggart. Fortunately it didn't turn into You know who as he feared.Unfortunately, it didn't turn into a dementor either.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	The little door inside the wardrobe

The mixed Gryffindor/Slytherin third year defense against the dark arts class was buzzing with excitement.

Because it was Harry Potter's turn to face the boggart. 

Before Harry could think too hard about what it would turn into, and before Professor Lupin realized who's turn it was, one Draco Malfoy pushed him forwards, hoping to get a good laugh at Potter's fear.

Draco didn't laugh, nor did the confused class. And specially not Harry Potter, when the wardrobe doors opened to reveal another, smaller wooden door.

It was battered and crooked, with it's paint chipped off and it's frame slightly out of place, as if someone kicked it often.

It also had a latch on the outside, to force it closed.

Before Harry could do as much as grow pale, the little door violently sprung open, and from inside an obese red faced man, easily three times as big as the door, impossible squeezed himself out and grabbed Harry by the robes, to start dragging him towards the little door.

_You disgusting freak! Babbling on and on about your stupid imaginary school full of other freaks!_

And Harry froze, he froze without even considering the fact that he was holding his wand, his magic wand, in a school full of other wizards and witches.

Because he had that nightmare so many times.

Almost through his entire first year in fact, the nightmare that it was all fake, all too good to be true, all just a stupid little dream he had, while trapped behind that little wooden door.

And Harry Potter, the youngest Hogwarts seeker in over a century, the kid who supposedly faced a basilisk in his second year, _the boy who lived,_ started to beg.

Because he couldn't go back, he just couldn't. He begged his uncle Vernon to stop, to please not lock him in the cupboard again, promising he won't do it again, promising he would do the chores better, faster, promising he will never talk out loud again, anything, anything because he _can't go back to the cupboard._

The first one to react, curiously enough, was young Neville Longbottom, who also disregarding his wand, ran forward to cling to his friend's robes to pull him away from the fat man.

But it wasn't the fat man anymore.  
Now it was professor Snape pulling both kids towards the little cupboard.

_What do you think you are doing, Longbottom? Don't you know those useless squib arms of yours are only good for scrubbing cauldrons?_

Neville eyes immediately watered at the hissed words, his lips trembled, he was shaking in fear.

But he didn't let go of his friend.

In less than a blink two more pairs of arms were pulling against the impossible strong Snape, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

From Snape's back grew multiple horrible giant spider legs, that painfully clung to the four students to better drag them towards the little door, the door that had protruded eight malevolent eyes, and twitching fangs and mandibles.

And Snape's face changed, morphed into an horrible version of professor McGonagall, her expression one of such immense disgust, disappointment and rage, that she looked like a cruel caricature of the real one.

_Miss Granger! How dare you?! If you don't let go this instant you shall be expelled from Hogwarts! You will be back to your awful muggle school! You will be away from the only friends you'll ever make!_

The four kids were openly weeping by now.

They still refused to let go of each other.

It was honestly hard to say who was the next one, but one by one, more and more students jumped towards their classmates and pulled as well.  
Until both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were fighting the boggart together.

The boggart didn't like that.

It's shape expanded and morphed, shaking and contorting, becoming and amalgamation of fears and phobias, swapping so fast between each one that they were becoming a blur.

A banshee, a mummy, an inferi, a dead sibling, a disappointed mother, an enraged guardian.

And young Harry Potter, who had been frozen in fear until then, reacted.

Because Harry might have trouble trying to save himself, but he will always try his best to save those around him.

He raised his foot and kicked the amalgamation towards the cupboard as hard as he could.

It was the last straw, the boggart deciding this was too much effort for a meal, violently threw the class away from it, and crawled inside the wardrobe, slamming it's door shut as hard as possible, as if it was telling the class they weren't worth the effort to put up with.

No one said a word until the class finished. The students simply picked themselves up and waited in silence. And if they were all standing in a group a tad closer than usual, no one complained.

As usual, the Hogwarts rumor mill made sure the entire school heard exactly what happened in the mixed Gryffindor/Slytherin third year defense against the dark arts class.

And when some older students tried to make fun of Harry for being scared of a fat muggle, no one was surprised at the whole Gryffindor house to jump at his defense.

But they were surprised at the ferocity of the third years in particular.  
But everyone was left with no words when the third years Slytherins joined in Potter's defense.

Not with brawls and curses, they weren't dumb Gryffindors, so as good Slytherins they defended him with cunning words.

_Our elders are supposed to be so much better than us, yet they have nothing better to do than bother a third year? Truly disgraceful._

The young snakes poisonous words do as intended, making an scene would prove their point after all, so the offenders have no choice but to feign impatience to dealing with stupid kids, since they have actually important things to do.

The third year Slytherins made a pact that day, a pact to left Potter alone, at least for a few weeks.

Because they know.

They know how there are some fears that no matter how hard you try, you just can't laugh at.

You can't turn into something funny.

That night, alone and drowning in guilt about standing frozen as a child (actually, worse than a child, because his students, his children, did move) instead of helping, professor Lupin grind his teeth with rage and impotence. His eyes glowing with a golden fury, trying to remember any detail about Lily's muggle life, anything that would help him find this uncle Vernon, and show him exactly just how bad of an idea was to mess with the pup of one of his best friends. 

He's not the only one that doesn't get any rest that night.

Because young Draco Malfoy has only thought about muggles as something to either laugh at, or being disgusted by.  
Yet he can still feel fear at that muggle's contempt filled gaze.

Because it was so easy, so easy to imagine a slim body instead of a fat one, a pale face instead of a red one, a whisper of displeasure instead of a froting shout of rage. 

The promise of a curse, instead of a cupboard.

But the same eyes. The same eyes filled with contempt and disgust, with disappointment. With the same hidden glee at having someone inferior to push around as they pleased.

No, Draco Malfoy didn't get any sleep that night.

And days later, once the story had enough time to spread to every nook and cranny of Hogwarts, a malnourished black dog howls in agony, broken mind glazed over with new guilt, new ways that he had failed his godson.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm feeling the angst in this chilli's tonight
> 
> For the life of me I can't remember if everyone mentioned was part of the same class, but for the sake of this oneshot let's say that's the case.
> 
> But yeah, first oneshot published here! Thoughts?


End file.
